A Star In Guatemala

My Little Monkey ...

2011-11-20T21:38:00.002-06:00

Yep .... My crazy little monkey climbing all over the kitchen. She was so proud of her "lounge pants". She looks so old when she wears them around the house.

Stella's Christmas Tree ...

2011-11-20T21:30:00.004-06:00

Stella has been begging me to put up her Christmas tree in her bedroom. Finally today I surprised her and had it in her room. She was so excited. I loved explaining to her where every ornament came from, what year she got it, how old she was, stories about the ornament and who gave it to her. It was such a fun afternoon watching the joy and excitement on her face.

Holiday Parade ...

2011-11-19T21:41:00.002-06:00

My girl all decked out to head to the Holiday Parade downtown Green Bay. The weather was actually not bad at all. We had a nice time. I love that Stella brought her purse loaded with several tubes of lip gloss.

Big Foot Monster ...

2011-11-19T21:35:00.001-06:00

This is what Stella asked Santa to bring her last year. I think today was the first day I have seen her play with it in one year. It almost seemed like she was a little freaked out by it and that he scared her a bit. Here they are watching Strawberry Shortcake together. Strawberry Shortcake is her new "passion".

Max Turns 4 !!!

2011-11-18T21:48:00.000-06:00

Max, I mean Batman turned 4 !!! He had a Superhero birthday party at Sports Emporium where the kids play Soccer. Stella was Batgirl ...aka "Max's girlfriend". As they were in the bathroom changing into their costumes after Soccer, she yelled over the bathroom stall to Max, "Hey Max, I will be your girlfriend today. " So funny................ What a fun party.

Dry Diapers ...

2011-11-18T21:43:00.002-06:00

We have been telling Stella for months now that if she get 5 dry night time diapers in a row she can pick out a toy and try big girl undies at night. So, she finally did it !!!!!!! We were all so excited for her. So, we went to Walmart and she picked out Blueberry Muffin Doll (from Strawberry Shortcake) and some Strawberry Shortcake lip gloss. We also took her to a "fancy restaurant" The Union. YUMMY. She was such an angel. On her first night she slept the entire night without an accident. The second night she woke up at 5:30 am, went potty and back to sleep....no accident. We are so proud of her.

4K School Pictures ...

2011-11-15T21:51:00.002-06:00

Today Stella had her 4K school pictures. She picked out her own outfit. I was quite impressed, I thought she did a great job. I hope her pictures turned out great seeing as though they did not get them taken until after lunch. Ha ...

Souvenir ...

2011-11-08T22:01:00.003-06:00

My friend Shannon and I ran to Chicago for a quick overnight shopping trip. Stella had specific requirements for a souvenir. She asked for a costume. Luckily, I just happened to have one tucked away that I got on clearance after Halloween. Here is my beautiful little Snow White.

Christmas In Suamico ...

2011-11-05T22:04:00.002-05:00

I am not sure I ever posted. But, back in March I started selling Stella and Dot jewelry. I had my first vendor show today and it was a total bust. I just wanted to post what my display looks like. It was been really fun selling the jewelry. And, I love that it is "Stella" and dot.

Happy Halloween ...

2011-10-31T12:59:00.000-05:00

Dorothy, A Gypsy and a Hot Dog !!!! What a fun evening. Stella was starting to get sick so she was sticking it out for her favorite holiday. What a little trooper. "Hot Diggity Dog" ...
Normally Rich would surprise her and pick out her costume. This year she wanted to do it. At first she wanted to be something so scary, but we did not think they were going to let her into school with the costume. So, she can up with this hot dog costume -- ALL ON HER OWN! And, boy did she "rock" it. She was so proud of her costume. She kept asking me why everyone was calling her a weiner. LOL .... With picking a costume like that, sure shows her personality. ha ha ... Looking at her I see a "mini me".

Halloween ...

2011-10-28T22:07:00.001-05:00

My little monster the week of Halloween. I think Halloween is her favorite Holiday. She sure loves anything scary. This picture was taken right before heading out to school.

Father/Daughter ...

2011-10-28T21:42:00.002-05:00

I {heart} this photo ....

Pumpkin Art ...

2011-10-26T21:54:00.001-05:00

Halloween work of art ....

Pumpkin Patch Field Trip 4k ...

2011-10-18T21:20:00.002-05:00

This was Stella's second field trip and I was so happy I was able to go with her on this one. We went to the Pumpkin Patch and had such a great time. Stella was the last one to find her pumpkin. Of course, she wanted to make sure she found the BIGGEST one of the bunch....

First Day of 4K ...

2011-09-08T22:27:00.003-05:00

Oh Darn, the pictures are all out of order. But, scroll down to see her leaving the house with her new sparkly backpack/lunch box and then she is walking to school with her backpack on her back and then a photo in front of school. Encompass Children's Day Out 4K program. She is so proud of her locker. Here is a photo of her and her teacher Mrs. Jan Gilles. She also signed up for share day and she brought in this little witch will screams and laughs. She was so excited for her first day of school. Mommy, not so much. My little girl is growing up way too fast !

Happy 4th Birthday Stella ...

2011-05-16T21:07:00.006-05:00

As you can see what had quite the birthday celebration. We celebrated with our family. Stella had a smile on her face from ear to ear all day. She loved her bike and never needed training wheels. She basically taught herself to ride the bike. We did a pinata and the kids had silly string and had a great time. Stella picked out her own cake, Scooby Doo. We also surprised the little girls and we borrowed a jump house from my friend to make the party a little more special. They had a ball ....

Riding A Bike ...

2011-05-15T06:54:00.001-05:00

Stella officially started riding her "big girl" bike without training wheels at Age 3 !!! We were at my sister's house and she asked my brother in law to ride Egan's bike. He put her on and she took off. We bought Stella a big bike and never put training wheels on it. She just picked it right up and is doing awesome. She has never once fell. I swear it is because she has been riding her old balance bike since age 2. We are so proud of her.

Friends Party ...

2011-05-13T21:47:00.005-05:00

First off, I had a special "4" birthday dress made for my birthday princess. We celebrated at Happy Joe's Pizza Parlor with all her friends. She had so much fun celebrating with everyone. They played games and I had pin the tail on the donkey (Stella requested that). We had gift bags for everyone. (Gumball machines) and gave everyone tokens for the game room. Everyone gave a gift to Stella of their favorite movie. It was a fun way instead of toys to expand our movie library. The kids had clown ice cream cones and enjoyed every minute of the day. Stella is so lucky to have such a great group of friends.

Last Day Of School ...

2011-05-12T22:35:00.006-05:00

Earlier this week Stella and I made her birthday treats. We made "4" cookies, frosted them purple (her favorite color) and we had to have sprinkles on them. So, she took them to school today for her birthday treat. It was also pajama day. I was so glad I remembered to get a picture of her wonderful teachers Mrs. Mary and Mrs. Jennie. I LOVE them and so does Stella. Later that night we had her last day of school program. They put on such a nice little concert. I love watching my little performer. Love the photos of Stella standing on the driveway waving to Rich as he leaves for work. As you can see, turning "4" was a VERY big deal.

Happy Mother's Day ...

2011-05-08T10:08:00.004-05:00

I had a wonderful Mother's day. With special cards and gifts for my favorite little person. We also celebrated with my mom, my sister and her mother in law at Nakashima's. It was a super fun day and evening spent with my most favorite people.

Art Show ...

2011-05-05T09:49:00.003-05:00

My proud little artist showing off all her prized pieces. Mrs. Donna at Artworks does an amazing job with the children and creating masterpieces. I was bummed I was not able to make the art show. I have heard she puts on a wonderful show. I am glad my friend Marisa snapped a few photos for me. I was attending my Dad's induction into the Hall of Fame of Football at Brother Rice High School.

"When opportunity knocks, let your girlfriends in"

2011-03-25T22:16:00.003-05:00

"When opportunity knocks, let your girlfriends in". And, that is what I have done. After 3 years of wanting to become a Stylist for Stella and Dot. I finally have joined & I am so excited for my new adventure in life. Spring is just around the corner & so is Mother's day. Check out my website & you can do your online shopping right from your own home.Treat yourself. You deserve it. www.stelladot.com/courtneystarry

Elmo ...

2010-11-20T19:10:00.015-06:00

Our playgroup went to see Elmo today. Stella was so excited. She brought along her baby Elmo and could hardly contain herself. Once the show started, she kept yelling "Hi Elmo" and was ecstatic when he actually touched her hand. She thought that was so cool. She had a blast. It was so fun watching her enjoy herself so much.

Lipgloss ...

2010-11-17T19:58:00.002-06:00

Just a little lipgloss before we head out the door for some errands. Like mother, like daughter.

Picture Day ...

2010-11-16T20:02:00.003-06:00

Sorry the photo is not the best. But my camera battery was dead so this was taken with my phone. Today Stella had her first school pictures taken. This is what she wore. I LOVE when she wears knee hi socks with her skirts. She was excited to get her picture taken that she kept practicing her smile before school. I can't wait to see how they turn out. She will have plenty of wallets to hand out. Ha Ha!

Dancing ...

2010-11-14T20:26:00.003-06:00

Monitor ...

2010-11-14T20:10:00.003-06:00

One of my favorites things to do it watch Stella on the video monitor. Today she was reading books to her dolls and practicing spelling her name. So precious.

Healthy Food Groups ...

2010-11-12T14:39:00.002-06:00

They were learning about the healthy food groups this past week at Stella's school. If you look really close, you can see she has a case of lite beer on the bottom as "healthy". Hey, at least it is "lite". So funny. I don't ever want to forget the little moments in life.

Trick Or Treat ...

2010-10-31T21:50:00.013-05:00

Every year Rich surprises Stella with her Halloween costume. The first year she was Elvis, the second year she was Evil Kenevil and of course you can tell this year she is Gene Simmons from Kiss. She wore her costumed like 4 times prior to Halloween so she was over it by the time she had to get dressed for trick or treating. First, I woke her from a nap (note to self, never do that again) and then had to watch her have a full blown meltdown/tantrum for 45 mins while trying to get dressed/do make up. We had a perfect face tattoo of Gene Simmons but it did not work and was too big for her face so I had to take it off and then try to paint something on .... that did not work so well. Her shoe covers were trashed from wearing the costume the week prior, she did not want to wear the choker around her neck, and then did not want any part of wearing her wig. At least I was able to snap some photos. I think Halloween may be her favorite holiday. She had a blast. I am actually glad it is over ........... Whew!

Packer Ticket Waiting List ....

2010-10-30T15:31:00.002-05:00

As of today, Stella is # 76,684 on the wait list for Packer tickets.

The Bee ...

2010-10-28T19:39:00.009-05:00

The kids got to dress up for school both days this week. Stella was Gene Simmons (KISS) on Tuesday but when her BFF Evelyn got to school, Stella ran up to her and scared her. SO, Stella said she better wear her bee costume today so she would not scare Evelyn. What a good friend. I love the picture of Stella with her teachers, Miss Mary and Miss Jennie.

Bathroom Confessions ...

2010-10-27T20:50:00.005-05:00

Gene Simmons ...

2010-10-26T19:56:00.000-05:00

Today the kids got to dress up at school. Stella was so excited to show off her Gene Simmons moves. When her friend Evelyn walked into the school doors, Stella ran up to see her and Evelyn got scared cause she did not know it was Stella. Poor Evelyn .....

My Sweet Angel ...

2010-10-24T20:01:00.001-05:00

Oh how I love you ........ forever and always my best friend.

Show And Tell ...

2010-10-19T20:05:00.003-05:00

Stella had her very first show and tell at school. She brought in her little red riding hood doll we bought her in Guatemala along with the book. While the teacher read the book Stella flipped the doll's dress over her head and under was the granny and then you turn the hat and it was the wolf. She was so proud of her doll and the fact it was from Guatemala. She got to do it again on Thursday and she brought in a map to show the kids where she was born, and a few other toys from Guatemala. A ball, a elephant and another doll.

Pumpkin Carving ...

2010-10-18T20:15:00.008-05:00

Stella and Rich carved pumpkins tonight and Stella was so excited. She could hardly contain herself. She thought it was the coolest thing. We made pumpkin seeds and put our pumpkins outside and put a candle in and watched it all night .

Pumpkin Patch ...

2010-10-17T20:26:00.015-05:00

We went to our annual little pumpkin patch farm this morning. We have a busy day today, watching the Packer game and then to my neice Egan's birthday party. We always love coming to this farm. We usually are the only ones here and we can just take our time and run around taking all sorts of photos. Stella wanted to be a big girl and pull her own wagon. She loved all the huge pumpkins. We ended up getting a few small ones to paint and two large ones to carve.

Zoo Boo ...

2010-10-15T21:03:00.007-05:00

We went to the Zoo with our friends Jamie and her son Mason. They had a haunted hay ride and Stella loved it. She was not scared at all that she even wanted to go back again the next day and take her cousins. There was a scary guy that was walking around in the water in the penguin tank and Stella was a little afraid of him, that she wanted to watch behind the glass. We went trick or treating to all the animal cages. We had so much fun that we will go back again next year. We had so much fun we went back the next day.

Sweet Girl ...

2010-10-13T21:18:00.005-05:00

She melts my heart with every breath she takes and every twinkle in her eye ...

Sleep Over ...

2010-10-09T21:28:00.005-05:00

All the grand kids had a sleepover at Papa and Lolo's new condo. They girls had a bonfire and made Smore's with Papa. My sister bought all the girls matching Halloween pjs. So, they thought it was extra special that they all matched.

Fall Fest ...

2010-10-02T21:41:00.005-05:00

My sister Blake and I took the girls to her neighborhood fall fest. It was so cold that we did not stay long at all. I only captured a picture of the girls going through the hay stack maze.

Play Date ...

2010-09-27T21:49:00.005-05:00

Our little play group went to the apple orchard for a play date. They have a little petting zoo there as well. We did not stay real long but the kids had a blast and after the orchard we went to MacDonald's play land for lunch.

Vegas ...

2010-09-16T21:57:00.014-05:00

We spent 4 amazing nights and 5 days in Vegas with our great friends... Courtney and Ryan, and Marisa and Mark. We had a blast. We laughed non stop and ate/drank to our hearts content. It was such a memorable trip that we will always cherish.

School Girl ...

2010-09-14T22:11:00.004-05:00

Just photos before my little school girl goes off to school .... She loves school.

I am Big ...

2010-09-13T22:19:00.000-05:00

I have always said to Stella, Your my little girl. Now, she says to me, "no mom ... I big" I am a big girl now.

Apple Picking ...

2010-09-12T21:09:00.020-05:00

It was gorgeous out today so I called my family to see if we could do our annual apple picking. And, everyone dropped what they were doing to spend an hour together picking apples. The girls had a blast and we loved watching them. It was a fun way to spend some family time together and be outside to enjoy the fantastic weather. We came home and made caramel apples with sprinkles. It was a lovely day. Happy Grandparents day too ....

Are You Ready For Some Football ???

2010-09-12T20:52:00.006-05:00

Let the Packer season begin...

First Day Of School ...

2010-09-09T21:43:00.016-05:00

WOW .... School ! She was so excited this morning. She was such a good girl too. She did everything I told her to do, when I asked the first time. So, you know she was excited. I kept telling her that I was excited it was her first day of school. So, when we walked into school she said to me, "Mom, I am so excited." She did great during drop off and so did I ... no one shed a tear. She did not nap because she told me she had to chat with her BFF Evelyn about animals. I love it. Those two little girls crack me up, they are such good friends. She had such a great day. I missed her so much but this is so good for her to be with other kids. And, a good break for Mommy. I was so proud of my little school girl today, she did awesome.

Open House ...

2010-09-08T21:16:00.008-05:00

Stella has her "school" orientation today. She is signed up to go to Children's Day Out program on Tuesday and Thursday each week from 9:30am to 2:30pm. She is so excited to go.

Packer Tickets ...

2010-09-02T10:59:00.003-05:00

As of today, Stella is number 77,170 on the wait list for Packer Season Tickets.

Words To Cherish ...

2010-08-17T20:37:00.001-05:00

Tonight I was tucking Stella into bed and she whispered to me, "Mom, I like you, you are my best friend and you are important to me." (melt my heart)

Updating The Blog ..

2010-08-16T20:43:00.001-05:00

Finally, bare with me. I am working from recent to old. So, you will need to scroll down to see new posts.

This Is How She Woke Up ...

2010-08-15T19:26:00.002-05:00

When Rich went to get Stella up this morning, This is what she looked like. At some point in the middle of the night or early morning got up and put her tank top and shorts on over her pajamas. Silly girl !!!

Delivery ...

2010-08-14T19:55:00.002-05:00

Look what the UPS man delivered !!!! 36 lbs of pure Guatemalan goodness.

Stella Swimming ...

2010-08-13T19:34:00.001-05:00

And then, click on this link and watch another video of her that was too long for blogger. She is doing excellent with swimming. We are so proud of how well she has been doing with her lessons and loves to practice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fxMD1gnNzU

Princess Party ...

2010-08-12T20:35:00.018-05:00

Stella and all her little friends were treated like royalty at Frannie and Maddie's Princess Birthday party. When we drove down their street I heard a loud gasp from the back seat when she noticed the huge Princess castle jump house. When we walked up to the house, we did not know where to look first. It was amazing. After about a half an hour, a pony showed up to take the kids for rides up and down the street. Stella thought it was the greatest thing in the world. She kept coming up to me saying "mommy, this is the best birthday house ever ." They played a few games, like fish for the prize, treasure hunt in a huge pool of packing peanuts to search for prizes. We had pinatas, great food and cupcakes and many many gifts and goodie bags along the way. As you can see from the last picture, Stella partied like a true ROCK STAR. She said she felt like a rock star in her sunglasses. She left there soaking wet from a kiddie pool, sweaty (it was like 1oo degrees), no clothes, sucker in mouth, race car in hand, 2 hot pink bracelets around her ankles and completely partied out. She had such a blast. The rest of the afternoon, that is all she talked about. When I asked her what her favorite part of the whole day was, she said the pony ride and treasure hunt. She said, "mom that was a cool party but it was so hot" .... It sure was a party Stella and her friends will remember for years to come. Thanks for having us Frannie and Maddie.

Wizard Of Oz ...

2010-08-11T20:01:00.017-05:00

Stella and my nieces Avery and Egan took a little dance/acting class this summer. They performed The Wizard of Oz. It was Stella's first play or live performance. She was a little munchkin. The play lasted 20 mins and she was on during the first 5 mins of the show. It was so cute and they all did a great job. I was so impressed how well Avery did. She had a bigger part and was awesome. After the play, Stella's friend John Henry brought a bouquet of flowers for all his little girl friends. He is such a ladies man. Ha Ha. It was so sweet of him. Make sure you watch the video so you can see Stella in action as the little munchkin.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNz_aEYOwA0

This Girl Has Some Moves ...

2010-07-18T13:01:00.003-05:00

I love how she is making her Nana laugh so hard. And, I love watching Pops clap to the music. She is such a little performer. I think we may be in trouble some day. (ha ha) The girl has some serious Latina dance moves.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juPoF9lv-SY

2 Months Behind ...

2010-07-11T09:24:00.002-05:00

I know, I know .... I am several posts behind. I keep getting emails, phone calls, and text messages to see if everything is ok. It is. I am just busy. I got behind when we moved Stella to her big girl bed and it takes one hour to put her down at night and after she goes down, I am too tired to do anything else. (Like update my blog). I am so sad that I am so far behind because I would usually update everyday. I hope to get caught up this week. I am having knee surgery tomorrow so it will force me to hang low so I hope to get something updated while I am recovering. Hang in there ... I will get this up and running again. I promise !!!

Happy 3rd Birthday ...

2010-05-16T19:11:00.000-05:00

Happy 3rd Birthday Sweet Stella. We celebrated her birthday at The Little Gym. We had a wonderful time and Stella was so happy and proud that she was turning 3 years old and that all of her friends were there to help her celebrate at one of her favorite places

Music Birthday

2010-05-13T20:45:00.012-05:00

Stella was so proud to be wearing her birthday outfit today. She brought a birthday treat to music class (bubbles) to share with all her friends. She was just so excited that it was her special day. She loved wearing her special outfit too.

Balloon Delivery ...

2010-05-13T20:14:00.000-05:00

Uncle Corey surprised Stella with a big bouquet of balloons. She was super excited and was so happy something arrived just for her. What a special thing to do for her birthday. It made her day so much more special.

2 Year Old On A 2 Wheel Bike ...

2010-05-12T10:13:00.005-05:00

That is one daredevil !!!!! Look at her. She is 2 years old, riding her 2 wheel bike with no training wheels. Impressive !!!!

Sunglasses, Money and Cell Phone ...

2010-05-11T09:09:00.007-05:00

Just a simple stroll around the house, baby in tow ... Wearing her sunglasses, cell phone (stuffed in the front of her pants) and a wad full of money . What a life !

Happy Mother's Day ...

2010-05-09T22:46:00.002-05:00

Stella helped me open my Mother's day gift (Nike sweatsuit) and then she made me a beautiful bracelet and a sweet handmade card. I will treasure both forever. Although, the bracelet is missing. Stella was wearing it and now I can't find it, I am sure it will turn up someplace/sometime. We had a wonderful day. I really wanted to sleep in, well past 6:30 am. But, Stella ended up in our bed half way through the night so I was up at 6:30 and she slept until 9am (that was a first). So, I did get a morning to myself to read the paper, have some coffee and check my emails but as for breakfast in bed ... that did not happen. Either did sleeping in. Oh well. We did not do much all day but hang out and get somethings done around the house. It was a wonderful Mother's day.

I would not be a Mother today if it weren't for Stella's birth mother .... For her I am so grateful. If I had the chance to say something to her today, I would simply say:

"Your unselfish act of love,

Has blessed us with a child from above.

Each time we see that smiling face

We remember in our hearts you hold a special place."

Big Girl Bed ...

2010-05-08T21:06:00.015-05:00

Today we turned Stella's crib to her "big girl bed". She was really excited about the new change. You can see she was testing her bed out, laying in it ... pretending to sleep. She was in and out of it all day. She did not nap in it the first day. Speaking of naps, they are about every other day now. UGH !!!! I don't want them to stop. We went to my sister's house for dinner to celebrate Mother's Day and the girls were having so much fun playing dress up and making little bug creatures. They got along so well. It was such a fun night. The last picture is of Stella actually sleeping in her bed for the very first night. She is doing a great job of actually staying in her bed until we get her in the morning. She (and Rich and I) are so proud of her every morning that she made it through another night without getting out. She is getting to be such a big girl.

Getting Mail ...

2010-05-07T21:55:00.000-05:00

Stella received her first Birthday card. It was from her "Best Friend" who lives in Canada. Therese is actually a friend of my parents who we met while vacationing in Florida. Whenever you ask Stella who her best friend is, she always says Therese. She just giggled and laughed when opening her birthday card and then had a smile from ear to ear when she saw the picture of her and Therese. Thanks Therese for being so good to my baby girl.

Feeding The Ducks ...

2010-05-06T22:08:00.012-05:00

After music class I took Stella to feed the ducks and geese at the Wildlife Sanctuary. She was very excited to go. The Geese were actually really aggressive so it made me nervous. They were hissing at us. It was hard to be able to feed just the ducks without the geese all around us. After the feeding, we walked around to look at the Owls and a few other things at the Sanctuary. It was a nice time and we will go back again since Stella loved the ducks so much. You should have seen how funny Stella was walking through and around the bird poop.

Proud Of Her Garden ...

2010-05-05T21:32:00.011-05:00

Just checking and watering her garden. She is so excited and proud to show off her garden. Oh, I hope something sprouts for her. If nothing else, maybe we will get a strawberry or two. If not, We will have to head over to our neighbor Bill's house so Stella can see veggies growing. He has a huge garden and Stella loves to help Bill and just go over and visit with him and watch him work in his garden. Last year he gave her all sorts of different veggies to try and she loved them all.

I Want Oreo's For Breakfast !!!

2010-05-02T21:19:00.000-05:00

I am sorry sweetie, You can't always get what you want !!!
{As she is holding her Tic Tac's ~ No she did not get them either}

Planting Her Garden ...

2010-05-02T20:40:00.013-05:00

I wanted Stella to experience watching a garden grow. So, she and I went to pick out some veggies for her to plant. We got some flowers, lettuce, basil, cilantro, tomatoes, strawberries, beans, carrots, and pumpkins. I am not sure how well they will do. But, it will be worth the try. We had some snow/frost since we planted so we are hoping the plants survived. Stella loves checking everyday to see if anything has popped through yet. She also loves to water her plants.

Spring Clean Saturday ...

2010-05-01T19:50:00.000-05:00

I had a little helper "stalking" me all day while I was trying to "spring clean" her room. Everything I put in the garage sale bin, she would take out. Thank goodness my mom offered to take her for a few hours so I could get most of it done without her stepping on my toes.

Being Silly ...

2010-04-30T20:10:00.001-05:00

Date With Daddy ...

2010-04-29T21:24:00.003-05:00

I had a girls night tonight and Rich took Stella on a date. They went to Happy Joe's pizza and spent the night together just having a ball. Stella loved being alone with just daddy. I think Rich likes that he got her all to himself too.

Break Dancer ...

2010-04-29T20:18:00.009-05:00

Today was music day. We took some silly pictures before we left for music. I am starting to think that Stella is not showing much interest in music. It started off ok, she was paying attention. And, in one video she is participating playing sticks. And then the boredom set in or just the urge to break dance. (Seriously, if you know me. Like mother like daughter) Cracks me up. She looks just like I did dancing in a circle at my 40th birthday bash !!!!!!!!!!! Ha Ha ... I wonder if she is "over" music class ??? I will be sad because we love Mrs. Wendy. ( I have two videos for you to watch : click on the links below)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nt5Sg0B8Ys
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8Mj06eHwlI

Egan's Performance ...

2010-04-29T20:00:00.003-05:00

After music class, Stella and I got to go and watch Egan's dance performance at school. She was a little shy at first but then got the hang of it. Stella was so excited to see Egan at school and I think Egan was happy we were there to watch her. We were so proud of her. Stella kept kissing and hugging her.

New "School" ...

2010-04-28T21:56:00.004-05:00

Rich and I took Stella today to check out her new "school" that she will be attending one day a week starting next fall. She loved it and did not want to leave. (I guess that is a good sign). There was one little guy that made sure Stella knew how it worked at school and even drew her a picture. I am happy she liked the place so much and her best little buddy Evelyn will be in the same class with her so that will make for a easy transition. I am sure Evelyn will take her under her wings and show her the ropes.

Project ...

2010-04-27T21:09:00.011-05:00

We ran to the craft store today and Stella picked out this cute little lady bug that she just had to have. She also grabbed this bag of magic nuudles. I was not really sure what they did until we got them home. They are pretty cool. You just slightly get them wet and they stick together. No glue required. It was a really fun project. We had an empty egg carton and made martian eyes and tried to make a rocket ship and lady bug. Stella made a train too. Then we had tacos for dinner. Stella came up with a great way to eat hers.

Daddy's Shoes ...

2010-04-26T20:52:00.004-05:00

Dang, I missed the cute picture. She had Rich's socks on pulled up to her knees and was wearing his work shoes. It was really cute.

Potty Training, Day 5 ...

2010-04-26T20:26:00.003-05:00

Stella has been doing an amazing job potty training. I love that after she goes on the toilet she yells, "I am potty trained" !!!! So cute that she does not get that it is a slow process. She has only had a handful of accidents in 5 days. We are so proud of her.
Today she rode her bike around the block. (First let me say, she was chewing gum and steering her bike at the same time which made me a little nervous that she was trying to "multi task"~ seeing as though she tends to be a little clumsy. But it went fine.) Anyway, it is the little precious moments in life that you need to treasure. Like the small conversations she has with me now are priceless. So, it took about 1 hour to go around our block because every time she saw some flowers in someones yard, she had to get off her bike to smell the flowers. Just remember, always stop and take time to smell the flowers.

Silverware ...

2010-04-25T20:40:00.003-05:00

Practicing using "big girl utensils" ........ poor girl got so frustrated but insisted on using the adult silverware instead of hers.

Grow Bug Capsules ...

2010-04-24T21:59:00.007-05:00

These cute little grow bug capsules were our project for the day. Stella was so anxious as she put each one in the water to see what bug it would transform into.

Mail ...

2010-04-24T21:47:00.005-05:00

Stella loves getting mail !!!! Aunt TT sent her mail 3 days this past week. Thanks Aunt TT for making her day. XOXOXO

Bonfire ...

2010-04-24T21:34:00.021-05:00

My sister invited us over for a cook out and bonfire tonight for dinner. It was the first day of the season that Stella got to use the trampoline. She had a blast. It was so cute listening to her giggle when she jumped. Egan had crazy hair day at school and Avery was excited to show me how she rides her bike. The girls roasted hot dogs and marshmallows. I love watching Egan push Stella on the swing.

Homemade Popsicles ...

2010-04-24T20:22:00.000-05:00

We have been experimenting making different homemade Popsicles. Stella does not drink juice but loves when we make juice pops. She can't get enough of them. I love watching the video of her slurping on it.

The Rewards Of Potty Training ...

2010-04-23T21:13:00.009-05:00

I did not do much the first few days of potty training as far as give treats, stickers, do the potty dance etc. But, since she was doing so good I decided we should give her something. So, I got out her responsibility chart and wrote potty on one label and every time she goes she gets to pick out a smiley face. It lights up her face and she gets so excited to pick what color. When a row is filled up, she picks a new color. She thinks it's the coolest thing. And, in the other bathroom. If she goes, she gets to put a "jewel" sticker on a Princess Tiara. So, I did tell her that since she is doing so good that she could go to the local toy store to pick something out. She was not able to focus on what she wanted once we got there because she was having too much fun. We did pick out the magnetic puppy playtime book and the rocket balloons. I am telling you people, that rocket balloons was the best $10 I have spent. She LOVES them and it keeps her busy. They are super fun. And, then she got to pick out some new underwear. She had it in her head it was going to be Mickey Mouse but when we got to Target and I told her all the different styles she wanted Tinkerbell. She does not know who Tinkerbell is (cause she keeps calling them Barbie) She just wanted Tinkerbell cause that is what one of her stuffed animals name is. Keep up the good work.

Potty Training ...

2010-04-22T21:25:00.001-05:00

Oh darn, No pictures. We spent the whole day inside and we worked on potty training. Stella did amazing. She only had one accident all day and then when Rich got home. I think she got so excited that she went again. She did so well. I hope it continues tomorrow. She was so proud of herself and the progress she made today. I was thrilled as well. Way to go sweetie, we are so proud of your hard work. Keep it up !!!

Flowers ...

2010-04-19T21:21:00.002-05:00

This was the first bouquet of flowers Stella ever picked for me. She picked them from the park and was so excited to give them to me. I wish I could treasure them forever.

Coffee ...

2010-04-18T21:25:00.004-05:00

She loves to help me get my coffee in the morning. She loves the taste of coffee (funny I know). She was having a melt down cause I would not give more than just a sip. So, I made her a little gulp of decaf with tons of creamer in it. Yup, she gulped it right down and loved every swallow of it. HELP !!!

Chocolate Egg ...

2010-04-18T21:15:00.003-05:00

Yes, we are still working on our Easter basket. Stella found this and had to crack open the chocolate Easter egg. One bit and she was done with it.

Picture Of Mommy ...

2010-04-17T21:08:00.002-05:00

I love this picture. I actually think she is a good little artist. Ok, the circles on the outside of the picture are my cheeks. (She forgot my nose). The scribbles above my eyes are my eyebrows and that little circle in between the eyebrows is my chicken pox mark. Does that not crack you up ?!?! Love it. I have to save this picture. I think that is pretty good for a 3 yr old.

Making Breakfast ...

2010-04-16T21:01:00.003-05:00

Stella told me what she wanted for breakfast and of course had to help. She did it all by herself.

Having A Whale Of A Time ...

2010-04-15T21:29:00.007-05:00

I can't even begin to express the amount of love I have for this precious little girl. {MY HEART IS FULL}. We are truly so lucky and blessed she is in our lives. I am amazed that God picked her for us and boy did he do a fantastic job. She is perfect. THANK YOU GOD !!!

Playing In The Rain ...

2010-04-15T20:55:00.011-05:00

My little princess was such a good girl today. We left the house at 9am and walked in the door at 2:30pm. She was such a trooper. We ran some errands and she missed her nap. I promised her once we got home we could go to the park. I had to get a few things done inside first so when we ventured to the park it looked like it was going to rain and once we got there, we got caught in a down pour. We did not care, it was fun. But, I told Stella when we got home she could put her rain gear on. And guess what, we got home and it stopped raining but she still did it anyway. Watch the videos: the first one, I just love how she looked so bored with that yawn. The second one, that ball is almost as big as she is and then flips over it. And the last one, Egan her cousin taught her to play hopscotch so she was practicing.

The Park Is Open ...

2010-04-14T21:55:00.005-05:00

We had a fun family night. Rich got home from work and we walked to the park up the street from our house. It was her first time there this season. She was really excited. After the park, we walked to dinner and then finished off our night and yet another park. She loved swinging really high and was laughing the entire time. I can't believe how old she is getting. Today she was talking about "Eddie" the elf. (From elf on the shelf) She asked me where he was, she said she missed him and wanted to hug and kiss him. So funny, what a memory. She is also doing a little hop on one foot/hopscotch thing. I need to capture it on video cause it is hilarious. She also is coming up with new little tricks. She will say "look at my trick mom" and she is curling her tongue or lifting her leg, or hugging something a funny way and she thinks she is doing a really cool trick. This girl cracks me up. She is so sweet. Today she was climbing up a ladder at the park and Rich was next to her. She stopped in the middle of climbing and said "hey dad, I want to kiss you" so she bent over and kissed him. (melt my heart)

Craft ...

2010-04-14T14:24:00.007-05:00

Today our craft project was painting old onesie tee shirts. Stella has so much fun. We ended up making 3 of them.

Doggie ...

2010-04-14T13:48:00.007-05:00

We have a new "doggie" in our house. Stella likes to act like a "purple" doggie. It started out as a tea party and the quickly turned into her eating her food like a little doggie. She loves to crawl around and have us pet her. Funny !!!

Boo Boo Bunny ...

2010-04-13T21:47:00.008-05:00

Today we wanted to pick up Egan from daycare so her and Stella could play together. They were having so much fun with each other, and it was so cute to see them playing instead of fighting. (because that is usually what would happen). Anyway, Egan hit her head on the corner of the counter so Stella rushed to helped her out with her boo boo bunny. Then, Egan was feeling sad and Stella was feeling left out so Stella said "she hit her head too" (notice Stella with boo boo bunny on her head). Then a few hugs and kisses and a marshmallow and all was good again.

Making Cupcakes ...

2010-04-12T20:49:00.019-05:00

I usually try to do a project of some sort with Stella everyday. Today it was making cupcakes "pubcakes" as she calls them. Today her favorite color is purple. When she put on her apron, she wanted to know why Aunt TT did not buy her a purple one, why did she buy her a blue one ??? She made all the cupcakes herself and did a great job. She got a little messy, licked her fingers alot and crushed alot of cupcakes but she had a blast. She was so excited to "surprise" daddy when he got home from work. It was so cute how excited she got to show him. As you can see we had to have purple frosting and LOTS of sprinkles "prinkles". She was so proud of herself. Watch the videos and notice her cute fingernails painted hot pink, she says delicious, she did not want daddy to see a cupcake that she broke, and she knew she was doing a good job. (Love that she is so confident). * I know there are alot of pictures but I don't print out any of my photos, I put them all on here so then once a year I print off my blog and they are all in one book* (I wish blogger would let you put a video on that is longer than 30 seconds).